Daily Republican., 1887-01-01

the saue strong argument 10 favor OF
holding honest elections that are
alrsady lcgAlized 1t would advocate q
two-fold reform. The regular State
and city elections honestly held under
honest laws would Of themselves purity
the primary elections. Whilst a pre-
MUM for fraud 10 offered In the cleo.
tion laws, IL 10 useless to attempt to
purify the primaries. Beginning re-
form in the primary elections without
carrying 1t out In the general aud mu-
nicipal elections would be like CON-
mencing with the top timber to cut n
tree down. We admit everything
that our evening contemporary has
said bad or good about the primaries,
but while fraud Ii practiced unblush.
fngly by even sworn officers OF cleo.
tions at the elections already re ,o2nized
by law, and our evening contemporary
has not word to say In condemnation
of 1t, why ponr ont the Walls Of its
wrath aud indignation against repeat
ing at the primaries? Fraud in the
latter IL bus the natural consequence
of fraud In the frsE. Perhaps the
Every Evening" can tell us about the
time when these frauds In the prima-
ries commenced. Nobody ever heard
OF such wholesale frauds rs have been
practiced, except within late years
easily to be remembered. The change
In the assessment laws which are only
part of our election laws, was made
In 1873. 1t WAS In that year that the
gates OF fraud were hoisted by Demo
cratic Legislature to let In the food.
Every one OF the Republican delegation
from New CASTLE In thst year voted
and Protested against the change Of the
Law nom IN honest channel into cor
rupt channel. 1t took some year,
after wards before the Democratic cleo
ton machinery could get sohooled u
the changed condition OF affairs. bu
when the party saw ut last what va
in It they soon turned IL TO practica
account in the so-cslied election OF tn,
Democratic ticket all the time. Re
publicAns came to the polls with thsil
hands virtually tied behind thei
backs. They were conscious o! thei
strength but they could not use 1t
They knew q majority OF voters wer
on their side but Democratic frau
lsgalized prevented them from usin
their forces. The Republican part
unable to offer q strong resistance, tn
Democratic promoters and prac.iser
of legalized fraud had but a short ste
to take to carry their practices into Oh
Democratic primaries. Democrat
reporters reasoned sousd'y and we
when they said tina tho sane NEAR
c.Hxs A1oKe DIV = .Cal a
tendency, would work just as wei
in the Democratic primaries in break
ing down one faction or the other. W
see the result, and Democracy fee!in
what was only intended for Republ
cans to feel, reform In the primaries
demanded. We say, toe, lie, US hay
reform In our primary elections, by
we say first lie. as have 1t in our alread
legalized elections. Lst Dsmocrar
that 10 crying out for reform In Il
primaries first try 1t In the other elet
tions. Let It at the present session
the Legislature 60 back thirteen yea
and undo the legislation of 1873. L
1t provide for the honest assessmel
and honest collection OF taxes that pr
vailed prior TO that year. Reform W
then gradually come itself, and ii
Democrats who have shamefullE
bauched our elections and then The
own primaries will get gradual
schooled 10 honesty as they We're bsf9
gradually schooled to fraud. We won
honestly aud sincerely ask what good
law would do ieg4liztng the primarl
and Furnishing those who repeat, VIII
the same repeaters go the rounds Ct
city election, vote as often as til
please and elect CQuucilmen at tn
okr. sweet will. These men who Ia
oeen schooled to fraud in the city q
State ele ctions and have been re ward
with eff ,es afterwards would laugh
any law passed to punish fraud az
primaries. They would know that
whole thing was but hollow shs
Who would prosecute these men
fraud at the primaries? Those
course who were disappointed and
fested-the benefciaries OF fraud in
city and State elections. Imagine
effect and result OF such prosecati
Imagine city off Ger elected by Ieps
ers prosecuting these same rspeaters
repeating at the primaries! Oar or
ing contemporary is Intelligent,
not ignorant OF the fact that true ro'
can only be attained at the prlu
elections by frs. eliminating every
coursgement for fraud from our e
ton laws. Let this frst be done,
then there will be no occasion
special projection for the primaries.
NEW YEAR resolutions are no
order, and no doubt many are n